EU leaders accuse Cameron of sabotaging budget deal

David Cameron has been accused of “blackmailing” other European Union leaders
as talks on the EU budget approached collapse.

Amid signs that an EU summit in Brussels will end without a deal, a senior MEP accused Mr Cameron of undermining an agreement by defending the UK rebate.

The summit has been effectively deadlocked by a dispute between net contributors to the budget – including Britain and Germany – and those who get more from the EU than they pay into it.

France, a net contributor, has also complicated talks by opposing any cuts in the Common Agricultural Policy of farm subsidies.

Hannes Swoboda, the president of the Socialists and Democrats group in the parliament, said the summit had been “disastrous” and blamed Mr Cameron

"Regarding the additional cuts, it is unacceptable that the majority of member countries are letting themselves be blackmailed by David Cameron who is permanently threatening to block progress in the EU,” he said.

"The British prime minister, who is considering leading the UK out of the EU, is having more impact on the future of the EU than those who are committed to strengthening the EU and fulfilling their obligations."

Diplomats suggested that if the summit ends without deal, France will attempt to blame Mr Cameron and his stance on the rebate for the failure.

Guy Verhofstadt, an MEP and former Belgian prime minster, also attacked Mr Cameron over his negotiating tactics.

He said: "It's not necessary to isolate Cameron. He isolates himself."

However, British sources insisted that many of Mr Cameron's arguments are supported by countries including Germany, the Netherlands and Sweden.

Mr Cameron's role in the impasse was welcomed by Bill Cash, a leading Eurosceptic. "If he comes back and says 'I'm standing firm on having a real cut, and not playing games with words here, he has done as much as anyone reasonably could."

Richard Corbett MEP, an adviser to Mr van Rompuy, said: "Most people around the table want to make a deal."

He said the sums under debate were 0.05 per cent of Britain's GDP. "It's not very significant. This is a political challenge."